Tonight, Melodifestivalen 2025 reaches its thrilling conclusion with the fifth and final heat, broadcasting live from Husqvarna Garden in Jönköping. Six diverse acts are set to perform, each vying for a coveted spot in the grand final.
Heat 5 contestants:
1. Arvingarna – “Ring Baby Ring”
Text & music: Stefan Brunzell, Thomas G:Son
Veteran dansband Arvingarna returns for their seventh Melodifestivalen appearance. The group, formed in 1989 in Partille, consists of Lars “Lasseman” Larsson, Tommy Carlsson, Kim Carlsson, and Casper Janebrink. They first gained national fame by winning Melodifestivalen in 1993 with “Eloise,” and have since enjoyed a prolific career with multiple albums and Svensktoppen hits. Their entry, “Ring baby ring,” is penned by Stefan Brunzell and Thomas G:son.
2. Arwin – “This Dream Of Mine”
Text & music: Anderz Wrethov, Arwin Ismail, Jimmy “Joker” Thörnfeldt, Julie “Kill J” Aagaard, Peter Boström
At just 17, Arwin Ismail is the youngest contestant this year. Hailing from Stockholm, Arwin gained popularity on TikTok with his music, notably the 2023 single “More Than Just a Feeling.” His Melodifestivalen debut, “This Dream of Mine,” is a collaboration with seasoned songwriters Anderz Wrethov, Jimmy “Joker” Thörnfeldt, Julie “Kill J” Aagaard, and Peter Boström.
3. Saga Ludvigsson – “Hate You So Much”
Text & music: Lisa Desmond, Herman Gardarfve, Saga Ludvigsson
Saga Ludvigsson, an 18-year-old from Örby in Skåne, first captured public attention as a finalist in “Talang” at age 13. She continued her rise by securing second place in “Idol” 2023. Now, she brings her emotive pop-rock track “Hate You So Much” to the Melodifestivalen stage, co-written with Herman Gardarfve and Lisa Desmond.
4. Victoria Silvstedt – “Love It!”
Text & music: Thomas G:Son, Jimmy Jansson
Internationally renowned model and entertainer Victoria Silvstedt makes her Melodifestivalen debut with “Love It!” Born in Skellefteå and raised in Bollnäs, Victoria gained fame in the 1990s as a model and later pursued a music career with hits like “Hello Hey.” Her entry is crafted by prolific songwriters Jimmy Jansson and Thomas G:son.
5. Vilhelm Buchaus – “I’m Yours”
Text & music: Vilhelm Buchaus, Elias Edman, Jonatan Lahti, Simon Alexander Ward
Vilhelm Buchaus, a 23-year-old from Sigtuna, began his musical journey by posting covers on YouTube. In 2023, he released his debut single “First Cut,” followed by an EP in 2024. Known for his pop-rock style, Vilhelm co-wrote “I’m Yours” with Elias Edman, Jonatan Lahti, and Simon Alexander Ward.
6. SCARLET – “Sweet N’ Psycho”
Text & music: Dino Medanhodzic, Scarlet Hunts, Thirsty, Jimmy “Joker” Thörnfeldt, Anderz Wrethov
The enigmatic metal duo SCARLET, comprising members known as Scarlet and Thirsty, returns to Melodifestivalen after their 2024 appearance with “Circus X.” Maintaining their mysterious personas, they present “Sweet N’ Psycho,” a high-energy track co-written with Anderz Wrethov, Dino Medanhodzic, and Jimmy “Joker” Thörnfeldt.
The top two entries from this semi-final will advance directly to the final, while the third-placed song will have another chance in the final qualification round after the fifth heat. This year’s format introduces changes, including the immediate release of competing songs on streaming platforms the day before their respective heats, allowing fans to familiarize themselves with the entries ahead of the broadcasts.
Full songs are now released to all platforms!
In this year’s edition SVT brings something that the fans were asking for! The release dates of the competing songs! All these years, SVT were very strict about the release of the songs prior to the contest. The viewers were only getting a few seconds of rehearsals and snippets and the finalists were not allowed to be streamed before the last heat was over. This changes for the 2025 edition. All six songs from each heat will be released to all platforms on Friday, one day before their competing heat and will be available throughout the entire competition. So here are the 6 competing songs in their full studio version!
Arvingarna – «Ring Baby Ring»
Saga Ludvigsson– «Hate You So Much»
Vilhelm Buchaus – «I’m Yours»
Arwin – «This Dream Of Mine»
Victoria Silvstedt – «Love It!»
SCARLET – «Sweet N’ Psycho»
The hosts
Melodifestivalen 2025 will be hosted by Kristina “Keyyo” Petrushina and Edvin Törnblom. Both are renowned comedians in Sweden, bringing their unique humor and charisma to the stage. Their collaboration is highly anticipated, promising an engaging and entertaining experience for viewers.
Finalkvalet
Tonight, it’s time for this year’s final heat and finalkvalet in Jönköping. The finalkvalet will be broadcast as an extension of the regular show, taking place immediately after Heat 5. After the regular heat is completed, the five entries that placed third in all previous heats will return to compete again for the two remaining spots in the final. All third-place entries that advanced from earlier heats will be back in the competition and present in the arena on Saturday evening.
The Finalkvalet is divided into two rounds:
Round 1 – One entry goes directly to the final based on points
Each entry carries an initial score into the finalkvalet, based on the number of votes they received in their respective heats, relative to the total number of votes cast in that heat.
The entry with the highest initial score will move directly to the final. This starting score will be revealed at the beginning of the show.
Round 2 – Remaining entries compete based on new votes
Once the first qualifying entry has advanced to the final, quick recaps of the four remaining entries will be shown.
After the recaps, viewers can start voting, up to five times per entry, via the app and by phone. When voting closes, an additional 800 points will be distributed based on the number of votes each entry received.
Scoring – How it works
Round 1
Each entry receives an initial score based on how many votes they got in their heat, relative to the total votes in that heat. In Round 1, a total of 1,000 points are awarded.
Example: If an entry received 1,000,000 votes in a heat where 500,000 people voted, it gets a value of 2. If another entry also received 1,000,000 votes but only 400,000 people voted in that heat, that entry gets a value of 2.5 and thus a higher initial score in the finalkvalet compared to the first entry.
The values for all five entries are then combined into a total. For this example, let’s say the total is 13. An entry with a value of 2.5 would then receive 2.5 out of 13, which is 19.2% of 1,000 points—equating to 192 points.
Round 2
When the finalkvalet voting is complete, an additional 800 points are allocated based on the number of votes per entry.
Points are awarded in the same manner as in the final. The entry with the fewest points before voting will have its new points revealed first. When all points are revealed, the entry with the highest total score will advance to the final. Entries that generate more engagement relative to the number of voters will earn more points.
If two or more entries end up with the same final score, the highest initial score from Round 1 will serve as the tiebreaker.
The acts that advanced to finalkvalet:
- Meira Omar – “Hush Hush” (Heat 1)
- Kaliffa – “Salute” (Heat 2)
- Dolly Style – “Yihaa” (Heat 3)
- Ella Tiritiello – “Bara du är där” (Heat 4)
Hall of Fame
When Melodifestivalen 2000 was broadcast from the Göteborg Opera, viewers were treated to an interval act that would become etched in Mello history. Before the winner was announced, the hosts performed a fourteen-minute medley consisting of previous Swedish Melodifestivalen entries. On stage were Elisabeth Andreassen, Lasse Berghagen, Carola, Lotta Engberg, Loa Falkman, Lasse Holm, Tommy Körberg, Lena Philipsson, Arja Saijonmaa, and Björn Skifs, with Hans Marklund as the director behind the performance. Now, this medley is being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
The motivation reads:
In 2000, ten Mello icons made TV history with an intermission act that had Sweden standing up in front of their TVs. The playful super medley featured everything from Skifs to Carola, summarizing over 40 years of schlager history with warmth and humor. The masterful intermission medley from Melodifestivalen 2000 therefore deserves its rightful place in the Melodifestivalen Hall of Fame.
Hans Marklund expressed his joy:
“I feel proud to have created a performance that became such a talking point and made everyone incredibly happy. I still receive emails and messages from people who think it’s the best intermission act ever, and many who kick off their pre-parties by playing the medley and singing along. Being inducted into the Melodifestivalen Hall of Fame feels significant, even 25 years later. I believe the performance will continue to entertain and always be difficult to top. It almost feels like I’ve won the entire Melodifestivalen—I’m so happy and proud.”
During Heat 5 in Jönköping, Hans Marklund will be present in the arena. Together with the audience, the hosts will celebrate that it’s been 25 years since Hans set the standard for how a medley should be done at Melodifestivalen.
“Few things stick in the collective memory of viewers as well as a grand medley! In 2000, the bar was set when 40 years of schlager history were summarized in a spectacular performance that now takes its place in the Hall of Fame,”
Christer Björkman, honorary chairman of the Hall of Fame committee.
Tune in tonight to catch these diverse performances and see who will complete the final line-up!
You can watch the show live at 20:00 CET via our Multi-window live feed or at svtplay.se.